Schurter outduels Absalon in Val di Sole cross country

Despite intense heat that saw many riders wilt, the cross-country mountain bike World Cup saw an intense battle between two riders right to the finish line at Val di Sole, Italy. World champion Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower) outkicked his usual rival Julien Absalon (BMC) to win his second World Cup in a row, and now holds a commanding lead in the overall standings at the halfway mark of the 2013 World Cup series.

The Val di Sole course is renowned for steep climbs, technical singletrack and hot, humid conditions; and this year was no different. Many riders that went out hard early in the races were fading by the halfway point, including Italian favourite Marco Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing).

However, two riders didn't appear to be bothered by the weather, with Schurter and Absalon attacking the rest of the field. Olympic champion and former Val di Sole winner Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing XC) managed to stay with the duo for one lap before having to slow to his own pace. The two leaders steadily pulled away from the rest of the field, never gaining more than a bike length on each other as lap after lap went by.

Into the final lap the two were still neck-and-neck and, after more than 90 minutes of flat out racing, it came down to the final 200 metres and a sprint. Absalon initially tried to match Schurter, but fell back after 100 metres to finish three seconds down. Kulhavy held onto third, but was nearly two minutes behind the front two.

"It is awesome to win here again," said Schurter. "It is a really tough course with the steep uphills. It was amazing to battle with Absalon. The last years I was always battling here for the win - once I won - once I got second.

"I felt pretty strong in the beginning, then I saw Absalon was as well really strong . I never knew if he was playing with me, or if his attack is coming soon. I would say we are nearly the same, I am [just] a bit stronger in the sprint. I am very happy about my victory."

Dan McConnell (Trek Factory Racing), the surprise winner of round one, showed that his win was not luck. Starting a little slower, in the high teens, the Australian steadily worked his way up the rankings, and by the start of the last lap was up to sixth. He was closing on the two Fluckiger brothers - Lukas (BMC) and Mathias (Stockli Pro Team) - who were literally looking over their shoulders as he chased them down, finishing a scant four seconds back at the line.

Schurter now leads the men's standings with 570 points, followed by McConnell at 450 and Lukas Fluckiger with 440 points.

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Full Results
1Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team1:32:47
2Julien Absalon (Fra) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:00:03
3Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing XC0:01:57
4Mathias Flückiger (Swi) Stöckli Pro Team0:02:28
5Lukas Flückiger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing TeamRow 4 - Cell 2
6Daniel McConnell (Aus) Trek Factory Racing0:02:32
7Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing0:03:31
8José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking TeamRow 7 - Cell 2
9Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:04:19
10Ondrej Cink (Cze) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:04:40
11Alexander Gehbauer (Aut) TX Active Bianchi0:04:54
12Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) TX Active Bianchi0:05:20
13Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Controltech Nevi0:05:33
14Miguel Martinez (Fra)0:05:41
15Thomas Litscher (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:06:10
16Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) Specialized Racing XC0:06:19
17Sergji Rysenko (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB Team0:06:42
18Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team0:06:56
19Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team0:07:12
20Anton Sintsov (Rus) Titici LGL International Team0:07:30
21Emil Lindgren (Swe) Giant Pro XC Team0:07:46
22Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) Goldwurst-Power / Stöckli0:07:59
23Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing0:08:23
24Jürg Graf (Swi) BSK Graf-Rollmat-Koba MTB Team0:08:26
25Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team0:08:34
26Michal Lami (Svk)0:08:47
27Martin Gujan (Swi) TX Active Bianchi0:08:57
28Castaneda Monsalve (Col)0:08:58
29Andras Parti (Hun) Waberer's Areus Cube Mtb Team0:09:02
30Uwe Hochenwarter (Aut) Focus XC Team0:09:07
31Henrique Avancini (Bra) Caloi0:09:09
32Henk Jaap Moorlag (Ned) Giant Pro XC Team0:09:13
33Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Team0:09:25
34Ralph Naef (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:09:43
35Martin Fanger (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:09:53
36Martin Loo (Est) Merida Italia Team0:10:00
37Shlomi Haimy (Isr) Focus XC Team0:10:18
38Simon Stiebjahn (Ger) Team Bulls0:10:25
39Michele Casagrande (Ita) Elettroveneta-CorratecRow 38 - Cell 2
40Umberto Corti (Ita) Controltech Nevi0:10:52
41Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Team Merida Wallonie MTB0:10:57
42Zsolt Juhasz (Hun) Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team0:11:05
43Marek Konwa (Pol) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team0:11:45
44Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:11:57
45Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Elettroveneta-CorratecRow 44 - Cell 2
46Fabien Canal (Fra) Asptt Definitive Tec-1lap
47Hans Becking (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing TeamRow 46 - Cell 2
48Frank Beemer (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB TeamRow 47 - Cell 2
49Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra)Row 48 - Cell 2
50Paolo Cesar Montoya Cantillo (CRc)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Giancarlo Sax (Swi)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Robby De Bock (Bel) Feenstra Felt p/b KendaRow 51 - Cell 2
53Lucien Besancon (Swi)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Carl Jones (NZl)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Daniel Eymann (Swi)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Mirko Tabacchi (Ita)Row 55 - Cell 2
57Marcel Fleschhut (Ger)Row 56 - Cell 2
58Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMCRow 57 - Cell 2
59Pascal Meyer (Swi) JB Felt TeamRow 58 - Cell 2
60Dmytro Titarenko (Ukr) ISD MTB TeamRow 59 - Cell 2
61Oleksandr Gerashchenko (Ukr) ISD MTB TeamRow 60 - Cell 2
62Patrik Gallati (Swi) Focus XC Team-2laps
63Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) Wild Wolf Trek Pro RacingRow 62 - Cell 2
64Simon Scheiber (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing TeamRow 63 - Cell 2
65Paul Oldham (GBr)Row 64 - Cell 2
66Karl Markt (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing TeamRow 65 - Cell 2
67Pavel Priadein (Rus)Row 66 - Cell 2
68Jonas Baumann (Swi) Wheeler - IXS TeamRow 67 - Cell 2
69Ramon Sagues Portabella (Spa)Row 68 - Cell 2
70Matthias Wengelin (Swe)Row 69 - Cell 2
71Philip Buys (RSA)Row 70 - Cell 2
72Evgeniy Pechenin (Rus) Forward - UdmurtiaRow 71 - Cell 2
73Michael Broderick (USA)-3laps
74Kornel Osicki (Pol)Row 73 - Cell 2
75Florian Thie (Swi)Row 74 - Cell 2
76David Fletcher (GBr) Orange Monkey Pro TeamRow 75 - Cell 2
77Brice Scholtes (Bel) Team Merida Wallonie MTBRow 76 - Cell 2
78Marco Schätzing (Ger)Row 77 - Cell 2
79Umbert Almenara Verges (Spa)Row 78 - Cell 2
80Renay Groustra (RSA)Row 79 - Cell 2
81Tudor Oprea Ovidiu (Rom)Row 80 - Cell 2
82Sang Hoon Na (Kor) Calvisson VTTRow 81 - Cell 2
83Tim Wynants (Bel) Toka Print MTB TeamRow 82 - Cell 2
84Martin Haring (Svk)Row 83 - Cell 2
85Timofei Ivanov (Rus) Forward - UdmurtiaRow 84 - Cell 2
86Seiya Hirano (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team-4laps
87Bostjan Hribovsek (Slo) Calcit Bike TeamRow 86 - Cell 2
88Mykhaylo Batsutsa (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB TeamRow 87 - Cell 2
89Pascal Schmutz (Swi) Goldwurst-Power / StöckliRow 88 - Cell 2
90Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel)Row 89 - Cell 2
91Lucian Logigan (Rom)Row 90 - Cell 2
92Miguel Angel Hidalgo (Arg)Row 91 - Cell 2
93Volodymyr Zinovkin (Ukr)Row 92 - Cell 2
94Ali Cakas (Tur)-5laps
95Mario Matijevic (Bel)Row 94 - Cell 2
96Mario Kojic (BiH)Row 95 - Cell 2
97Besik Gavasheli (Geo)Row 96 - Cell 2
DNFSven Nys (Bel)Row 97 - Cell 2
DNFSepp Freiburghaus (Swi)Row 98 - Cell 2
DNFErik Groen (Ned) Feenstra Felt p/b KendaRow 99 - Cell 2
DNFJan Skarnitzl (Cze) SRAM Rubena TrekRow 100 - Cell 2
DNFMax Plaxton (Can)Row 101 - Cell 2
DNFPierluigi Bettelli (Ita)Row 102 - Cell 2
DNFAndy Eyring (Ger)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFGerman Dorhmann (Arg)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFJosé Juan Escarcega (Mex)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFFabian Giger (Swi) Giant Pro XC TeamRow 106 - Cell 2
DNFJochen Kass (Ger)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFMartino Fruet (Ita)Row 108 - Cell 2
DNSSilvio Busser (Swi) Wheeler - IXS TeamRow 109 - Cell 2
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Teams
1Multivan Merida Biking Team66pts
2BMC Mountainbike Racing Team63Row 1 - Cell 3
3Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team58Row 2 - Cell 3
4Specialized Racing XC47Row 3 - Cell 3
5TX Active Bianchi43Row 4 - Cell 3
6Stöckli Pro Team30Row 5 - Cell 3
7Trek Factory Racing26Row 6 - Cell 3
8Cannondale Factory Racing24Row 7 - Cell 3
9Controltech Nevi18Row 8 - Cell 3
10Cycling Club Roma MTB Team14Row 9 - Cell 3
11Topeak Ergon Racing Team13Row 10 - Cell 3
12Titici LGL International Team11Row 11 - Cell 3
13Giant Pro XC Team10Row 12 - Cell 3
14Goldwurst-Power / Stöckli9Row 13 - Cell 3
15Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing8Row 14 - Cell 3
16BSK Graf-Rollmat-Koba MTB Team7Row 15 - Cell 3
17Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team2Row 16 - Cell 3
18Focus XC Team1Row 17 - Cell 3
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World Cup standings - Individuals
1Nino Schurter (Swi)570pts
2Daniel McConnell (Aus)450Row 1 - Cell 3
3Lukas Flückiger (Swi)440Row 2 - Cell 3
4Julien Absalon (Fra)400Row 3 - Cell 3
5Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze)374Row 4 - Cell 3
6Thomas Litscher (Swi)326Row 5 - Cell 3
7Mathias Flückiger (Swi)318Row 6 - Cell 3
8Ondrej Cink (Cze)310Row 7 - Cell 3
9Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita)294Row 8 - Cell 3
10Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa)260Row 9 - Cell 3
11Max Plaxton (Can)260Row 10 - Cell 3
12Maxime Marotte (Fra)255Row 11 - Cell 3
13Rudi Van Houts (Ned)254Row 12 - Cell 3
14Martin Fanger (Swi)251Row 13 - Cell 3
15Alexander Gehbauer (Aut)212Row 14 - Cell 3
16Emil Lindgren (Swe)210Row 15 - Cell 3
17José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa)200Row 16 - Cell 3
18Fabian Giger (Swi)200Row 17 - Cell 3
19Geoff Kabush (Can)196Row 18 - Cell 3
20Henk Jaap Moorlag (Ned)196Row 19 - Cell 3
21Marek Konwa (Pol)171Row 20 - Cell 3
22Nicola Rohrbach (Swi)166Row 21 - Cell 3
23Martin Loo (Est)164Row 22 - Cell 3
24Andrea Tiberi (Ita)160Row 23 - Cell 3
25Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita)153Row 24 - Cell 3
26Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel)152Row 25 - Cell 3
27Uwe Hochenwarter (Aut)148Row 26 - Cell 3
28Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn)146Row 27 - Cell 3
29Marcel Wildhaber (Swi)146Row 28 - Cell 3
30Martin Gujan (Swi)141Row 29 - Cell 3
31Florian Vogel (Swi)128Row 30 - Cell 3
32Sergji Rysenko (Ukr)116Row 31 - Cell 3
33Jürg Graf (Swi)106Row 32 - Cell 3
34Miguel Martinez (Fra)105Row 33 - Cell 3
35Wolfram Kurschat (Ger)104Row 34 - Cell 3
36Fabien Canal (Fra)104Row 35 - Cell 3
37Jiri Novak (Cze)100Row 36 - Cell 3
38Stéphane Tempier (Fra)95Row 37 - Cell 3
39Jan Skarnitzl (Cze)95Row 38 - Cell 3
40Michal Lami (Svk)92Row 39 - Cell 3
41Andras Parti (Hun)88Row 40 - Cell 3
42Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa)82Row 41 - Cell 3
43Derek Zandstra (Can)78Row 42 - Cell 3
44Anton Sintsov (Rus)66Row 43 - Cell 3
45Moritz Milatz (Ger)66Row 44 - Cell 3
46Hans Becking (Ned)62Row 45 - Cell 3
47Michele Casagrande (Ita)61Row 46 - Cell 3
48Shlomi Haimy (Isr)59Row 47 - Cell 3
49Patrik Gallati (Swi)54Row 48 - Cell 3
50Fabio Hernando Castaneda Monsalve (Col)50Row 49 - Cell 3
51Alban Lakata (Aut)50Row 50 - Cell 3
52Oleksandr Gerashchenko (Ukr)48Row 51 - Cell 3
53Sebastien Carabin (Bel)48Row 52 - Cell 3
54Jochen Kass (Ger)46Row 53 - Cell 3
55Giancarlo Sax (Swi)46Row 54 - Cell 3
56Henrique Avancini (Bra)44Row 55 - Cell 3
57Simon Stiebjahn (Ger)43Row 56 - Cell 3
58Raphael Gagne (Can)43Row 57 - Cell 3
59Sepp Freiburghaus (Swi)42Row 58 - Cell 3
60Umberto Corti (Ita)42Row 59 - Cell 3
61Paolo Cesar Montoya Cantillo (CRc)40Row 60 - Cell 3
62Ralph Naef (Swi)38Row 61 - Cell 3
63David Joao Serralheiro Rosa (Por)36Row 62 - Cell 3
64Karl Markt (Aut)36Row 63 - Cell 3
65Filip Eberl (Cze)35Row 64 - Cell 3
66Lucien Besancon (Swi)34Row 65 - Cell 3
67Pascal Meyer (Swi)33Row 66 - Cell 3
68Jonas De Backer (Bel)32Row 67 - Cell 3
69Matous Ulman (Cze)30Row 68 - Cell 3
70Philip Buys (RSA)30Row 69 - Cell 3
71Zsolt Juhasz (Hun)26Row 70 - Cell 3
72Mitchell Hoke (USA)26Row 71 - Cell 3
73Daniel Eymann (Swi)25Row 72 - Cell 3
74Matthias Wengelin (Swe)24Row 73 - Cell 3
75Kornel Osicki (Pol)23Row 74 - Cell 3
76Catriel Andres Soto (Arg)21Row 75 - Cell 3
77Frank Beemer (Ned)20Row 76 - Cell 3
78Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra)19Row 77 - Cell 3
79Pavel Boudny (Cze)18Row 78 - Cell 3
80Todd Wells (USA)17Row 79 - Cell 3
81Andy Eyring (Ger)17Row 80 - Cell 3
82Robby De Bock (Bel)16Row 81 - Cell 3
83Simon Scheiber (Aut)16Row 82 - Cell 3
84Carl Jones (NZl)14Row 83 - Cell 3
85Mirko Tabacchi (Ita)12Row 84 - Cell 3
86Ismael Ventura Sanchez (Spa)12Row 85 - Cell 3
87Marcel Fleschhut (Ger)11Row 86 - Cell 3
88Ludovic Dubau (Fra)10Row 87 - Cell 3
89Tim Wynants (Bel)10Row 88 - Cell 3
90Kristian Hynek (Cze)9Row 89 - Cell 3
91Cameron Jette (Can)9Row 90 - Cell 3
92Dmytro Titarenko (Ukr)8Row 91 - Cell 3
93Pavel Priadein (Rus)8Row 92 - Cell 3
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World Cup standings - Teams
1BMC Mountainbike Racing Team203pts
2Multivan Merida Biking Team198Row 1 - Cell 3
3Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team129Row 2 - Cell 3
4Giant Pro XC Team115Row 3 - Cell 3
5Specialized Racing XC98Row 4 - Cell 3
6Trek Factory Racing79Row 5 - Cell 3
7BH - SR Suntour - KMC72Row 6 - Cell 3
8TX Active Bianchi70Row 7 - Cell 3
9Cannondale Factory Racing61Row 8 - Cell 3
10Stöckli Pro Team60Row 9 - Cell 3
11Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing43Row 10 - Cell 3
12Scott-3Roxracing40Row 11 - Cell 3
13Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team35Row 12 - Cell 3
14Controltech Nevi27Row 13 - Cell 3
15Merida Italia Team21Row 14 - Cell 3
16Goldwurst-Power / Stöckli17Row 15 - Cell 3
17Topeak Ergon Racing Team16Row 16 - Cell 3
18Cycling Club Roma MTB Team14Row 17 - Cell 3
19Versluys Team12Row 18 - Cell 3
20Titici LGL International Team11Row 19 - Cell 3
21SRAM Rubena Trek11Row 20 - Cell 3
22BSK Graf-Rollmat-Koba MTB Team9Row 21 - Cell 3
23Asptt Definitive Tec8Row 22 - Cell 3
24Focus XC Team8Row 23 - Cell 3
25Waberer's Areus Cube MTB Team2Row 24 - Cell 3
26ISD MTB Team2Row 25 - Cell 3

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